Activities of daily living (ADLs), any task that commonly is completed by most persons, that is performed habitually or repeatedly at regular intervals, and that often serves as a prerequisite for other activities. Examples of ADLs include dressing, eating, attending to hygiene, toileting, and walking (or functional mobility). Although these activities may be perceived as routine, they may in fact be quite creative endeavours (e.g., choosing clothes to wear to create a certain look or cooking a meal in which ingredients are selected for complementary flavours and colour). In particular, ADLs are important for the roles they serve in maintaining personal health, social life, and connections with other persons.
ADLs are distinguished from productive activities, such as paid employment, volunteerism, and education, and also from leisure, recreational, and social activities. ADLs are sometimes divided into personal care, or basic, activities of daily living (BADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). IADLs generally are activities thought to be more complex in nature than BADLs and typically include cooking, housekeeping, managing medication and money, shopping, and using the telephone.
While the concept of ADLs is distinct from productive, educational, and leisure activities, the categorization of particular activities is less clear. For example, some BADLs and IADLs may be performed for remuneration (such as grooming or home maintenance) or for leisure (such as cooking or shopping). Furthermore, although activities may be broadly categorized as BADLs and IADLs, whether a particular activity is considered as such for a particular individual is dependent on the context and meaning of that activity for that individual.
BADL and IADL evaluation tools are designed to assess various indicators of activity restriction, such as the outcome of a treatment program, and to predict successful living in a home or community setting, need for assistance, or the need for nursing home care. They also may be used to evaluate the impact of impairments on daily life. The Katz Index of Independence in ADLs and the Lawton IADL scale are commonly used by health care providers to detect subtle changes in patient health.